Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1887-02-11
THE INVESTIGATION
INTO THE CHARGES PREFERRED AGAINST
SUPERINTENDENT PECK.
A Night Session Held Last Eysning--rhs Prose-
eation Rests lis CaSe-Ths Defense
to Open To-Day.

by the p~rosecution calling Theodore Boyu,
of Parkersburg. Mr. Boyd said his bust
ness was that of a correspondent OF the
Cincinnati Enquirer. He made two visits
to the penitentiary last fall, spending a
day in Wheeling between them. o
Peck was very courteous to him on his
yisits-extremely so; in fact his kindness
excited suspicion in the mind of the news
paper man. He saw no instruments oil
and it WAS represented to him
that nothing Of the sort was used, but the
cowed aspect and general demeanOr oil
the couyicts made witness think all
was not 30 pleasant in the prison
life. He met Colonel Wilkinson
in Charleston soon after and cOntded his
suspicious to him, and Col. Wilkinson de
tailed to him the stuff which subsequently
appeared in the Enquirer. lie said the cut
Of the Kicking jenny" which appeared IN
the Enquirer was made from "a verbal de
s~cription given him by Col. Wilkinson.
He did not know OF the cruelty OF bus
own personal knowledge"
The second witness was +. w. Brown,
formerly the clerk and b~OOkkeeper at the
prison. His testimony was mainly with
reference TO the alleged discrepancy OF d
bushels in the car load of potatoes bought
in Wheeling by Col. Wilkinson for the use
of the prison. There was an attempt To
create an IMPRESSION on the minds OF the
committee that there was a credit when
did not properly belong OH the books, bu
witness recollected something Of u pay
ment having been made for 40 bushels Oh
potatoes by Mr.. Peck.
Johnson, the guard, who testified
Wednesday, was recalled, but nothing ma,
~terial,y new was developed. This brought
the committee up To noon, d an an1ohrh'
ment WAS taken for dinner.
After dinner ex-Clerk Brown was re-
called a short time, and then Samuel Fer
gIsOn, q guard, was put on the stand. lie
~corroborated in a general way the instance
of punishment detailed by Col. WILKINSON
and was followed by Phillip Lucas, a con
Wet, and K. Wauphin, James e.. Whyte,
of this city, and William Fitzslmmons, all
guards. These witnesses had seen III
stances of whipping, bnt thought that,
while severe, they were far from being
brutal or inhuman. They Thought pun
ishment of some sort was essential to Sc
cure the enforcement OF the prison rules
and regulations.
Edward Weidebuseh was formerly the
contractor 10 supply meat tor tue use Of
the prison. He had seem cattle butchered
for the penitentiary 10y the new contractor
that he would not have butchered. lie
said that Mr.. Peck had offered to give him
the contract at hye rents per pound, the
price Levi, the new contractor, had agreed
To furnish meat, but he would not take IT..
Timothy Stillwell testified that while
Oh guard in tower No, | he had heard the
cries OF prisoners who were being whipped,
j. A. Bloyd, a clerk working for Levi,
the prison butcher, said the meat furnished
the prison WAS good.
The committee here suspended the eN-
animation of witnesses, and after agreeing
tn hold a night session, took II recess until
: o'clock.
The first witness called after supper was
William KoOntz, 4 cabinet maker aud fur
niture dealer, who testified a to the pur'
chase of some potatoes by the superintend'
ent.
J.. F. Rurly said he was bookkcrper at
the prison. lie was a grandson OF Senator
B. W. Price, and succeeded Frank Brown
He had overheard a portion Of the coyerst'
ton between Supt. Peck and MIR. k0Ontz
as to thu potato transaction. There wa
a decided difference in the recollection oI
these two witnesses, but the committee
evidently looked upon the matter rs OF lit
tie value and ruled most at the stun out.
r. G. Stillwell was Il butcher and worked
for Levi, the contractor who supplied tht
prison. He said the general quality O
the beef furnished vas pretty bad. Some
of the COWS were very poor, and some wer,
heavy with calf, and not lit inr beef on thai
account, Some of the bulls were pretty
old. The beef wouldn't sell in the open
market. He said Mr.. Peck could not tel
much about the beef after IT was dressed,
except that he could see il was nOtiat. lie
remembered once he had killed q big bull
and hauled it up To the prison in IL Goa
wagon. Mr.. Peck SAW the coal dirt on tn,
beef, and docked Levi a dollar for Tn,
trouble of cleaning it.
Claytor Israel had been n guard Tor the
mast two years. lie did not recOllect see
ing liquor in the workshops. Once he saw
a flask of liquor half pint-paSsed in to
Mike Lane, a convict, by Supt. Peck. II
Was on last Christmas day. 4 basket came
up 10 prison for Mike Lane. Superintend'
ent Peek brought it To the cell building
and said Ia the guard ON duty: Here is 4
basket Johnny Henratta sent up To Mike
Lane. Tell him not to drink too much ri
a time" lie knew nothing about the
presence of liquor ut any other time. lie
had seen cOnvictS punished. lie had
whipped a man in the cellar, OH the kick
ing Jenny, by order of Superintendent
Peek, with the lash provided for that pur,
pose. The witness thought the punish,
ment was cruel. Pie n4ap he whipped
WIS J. SchOolrralt. lie bad moi whipped
the mau ~ hard ~ hc could, but
he hail laii 1t on pretty well.
lie described the whipping, and Said that
When he struck the second blow the mans
shirt. which had been rolled up over his
back, fell down. Mr.. Peck told witness
he wanted the prisoner tn get the full ben
eft of the whipping. lie rolled up his
shirt again, and then proceeded with the
whipping. ScbOOlcrslt was whipped ior
telling a lie on another convict, and
witness detailed the circumstance. Witness
thought it was cruel to whip "A man at
all, for anything; he meant that the opera
tiou ges severe and painful. He never
heard the cIies ~ gther cOnvicts who WERE
whipped.
j. W. Gallagher Vas next sworn. He
bad bsep . directOr Of the prison for a good
many years. he gas questioned about
certain bill for blankets bought by Super
intendent Peck from Simpson 4 hoSe, o.
this city. The bill came in in Mr.. Peck'S
cash account most unusual proceed
ing and one in violation of the rules of the
s0ani. The Board required thai
bills be appsGssd BY the S~uperinten'
dent, and then ordered Paia. Superin,
tendent Peck had paid this bill himself,
Witness came mp TO Wheeling and saw
Simpson Z HOge about it. He went on Il
say that Superintendent Peck had been
allowed n commission Oh the blii, Sst this
zs g